Biomedical subjects

Claes Ohlsson

Publications and source records attributed to Claes Ohlsson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Polymorphisms in the aromatase gene predict areal BMD as a result of affected cortical bone size: the GOOD study.

UNLABELLED: The association between aromatase gene polymorphisms, bone parameters, and sex steroid levels was studied in 1068 men (18.9 +/- 0.6 years of age). Several aromatase gene polymorphisms were found to be associated with serum testosterone levels and cortical bone size but not with trabecular volumetric BMD. INTRODUCTION: Both testosterone and estrogens are important for the male skeleton. Aromatase, the product of the CYP19 gene, is the key enzyme in the conversion of testosterone to estradiol. A functional aromatase enzyme has been shown to be crucial for the normal development of the male skeleton. The role of genetic polymorphisms in the aromatase gene for trabecular volumetric BMD (vBMD) and cortical bone size has not previously been studied in men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants (GOOD) study consists of 1068 men (18.9 +/- 0.6 years of age). The TTTA repeat polymorphism (TTTAn) and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including the Val80 SNP, in the CYP19 gene, were analyzed. Serum levels of testosterone and estradiol were measured. Areal BMD (aBMD) was measured by DXA, whereas cortical and trabecular vBMD and cortical bone size were measured by pQCT. RESULTS: The TTTAn and the Val80 genotypes were independent predictors of aBMD of the radius, lumbar spine, total body, and cortical bone size (cortical cross-sectional area and thickness) of both the radius and tibia. In contrast, trabecular vBMD was not associated with CYP19 polymorphisms. Homozygosity for the long allele (>9 repeats) of the TTTAn and for the G allele of the Val80 SNP was associated with the highest aBMD and testosterone levels as well as with the greatest cortical bone size. Regression analyses indicated that the association with aBMD was mediated through affected cortical bone size. CONCLUSIONS: We showed, in a large well-characterized cohort of men at the age of peak bone mass, that several common aromatase polymorphisms are associated with cortical bone size but not with trabecular vBMD. One may speculate that affected CYP19 activity, resulting in altered testosterone levels during pubertal development, might contribute to the association between CYP19 polymorphisms and cortical bone size.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Differential effects of sex hormones on peri- and endocortical bone surfaces in pubertal girls.

CONTEXT: The role of sex steroids in bone growth in pubertal girls is not yet clear. Bone biomarkers are indicators of bone metabolic activity, but their value in predicting bone quality has not been studied in growing girls. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association of sex hormones and bone markers with bone geometry and density in pubertal girls. DESIGN: The study was designed as a 2-yr longitudinal study in pubertal girls. Measurements were performed at baseline and at 1- and 2-yr follow-ups. SETTING: The study was conducted in a university laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 258 10- to 13-yr-old healthy girls at the baseline participated. METHODS: Peripheral quantitative computed tomography was used to scan the left tibial shaft. Serum 17beta-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), SHBG, osteocalcin (OC), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5b were assessed. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear models with random effect. RESULTS: E2 was a positive predictor for total bone mineral density (BMD), cortical thickness, and a negative predictor for endocortical circumference but had no predictive value for total bone cross-sectional area or periosteal circumference. T was a positive predictor for total cross-sectional area and periosteal circumference as well as endocortical circumference, and a negative predictor for total BMD. OC was negatively correlated with cortical BMD (R2 = 0.325; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In pubertal girls, E2 and T have different influences on bone properties at the long bone shaft. The results suggest that, at the endocortical surface, E2 inhibits bone resorption during rapid growth, and later, after menarche, acts at higher concentrations to promote bone formation. At the periosteal surface, T promotes bone formation, whereas E2 does not affect it. In addition, OC might be used as a predictor of cortical BMD.

Acid Phosphatase↗

PubMed2005

Growth without growth hormone receptor: estradiol is a major growth hormone-independent regulator of hepatic IGF-I synthesis.

UNLABELLED: The role of estrogens in the regulation of pubertal growth independently of GH and its receptor was studied in male mice with disrupted GHRKO. E(2) rescued skeletal growth rates in GHRKO associated with an increase in hepatic and serum IGF-I. These data show that E(2) rescues pubertal growth during GH resistance through a novel mechanism of GHR-independent stimulation of hepatic IGF-I production. INTRODUCTION: Growth hormone (GH) and estrogen play a pivotal role in pubertal growth and bone mineral acquisition. Estrogens can affect GH secretion and thereby provide a GH-dependent mechanism for their effects on skeletal growth. It is presently unclear if or to what extent estrogens are able to regulate pubertal growth and bone mineral accrual independently of GH and its receptor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Estradiol (E(2); 0.03 mug/day by subcutaneous silastic implants) was administered to orchidectomized (ORX) male mice with disrupted GHR (GHRKO) and corresponding WTs during late puberty (6-10 weeks). Longitudinal and radial bone growth, IGF-I in serum and its expression in liver, muscle, and bone, and liver gene expression were studied by histomorphometry, RIA, RT-PCR, microarrays, and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: E(2) stimulated not only longitudinal (femur length and growth plate thickness) and radial growth (cortical thickness and periosteal perimeter), but also rescued longitudinal and periosteal growth rates in ORX GHRKO, whereas no significant changes occurred in WT. E(2) thereby upregulated serum IGF-I and liver IGF-I synthesis (+21% and +52%, respectively) in ORX GHRKO, whereas IGF-I synthesis in femur or muscle was unaffected. Study of the underlying mechanism of the stimulation of hepatic IGF-I expression showed that E(2) restored downregulated receptor signaling systems, such as the estrogen receptor alpha and the prolactin receptor. E(2) thereby recovered the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway as evidenced by a significantly increased activation of the transcription factor STAT5 in ORX GHRKO. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show a stimulation of skeletal growth through upregulation of hepatic IGF-I by a hormone other than GH. E(2) rescues pubertal skeletal growth during GH resistance through a novel mechanism of GHR-independent stimulation of IGF-I synthesis in the liver.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Association of amount of physical activity with cortical bone size and trabecular volumetric BMD in young adult men: the GOOD study.

UNLABELLED: In this population-based study, amount of PA was associated with cortical bone size (increased thickness and periosteal circumference) and trabecular vBMD, but not with cortical vBMD or length of the long bones in young men. The lowest effective amount of PA was > or = 4 h/week. INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) is believed to have positive effects on the skeleton and possibly help in preventing the occurrence of osteoporosis. Neither the lowest effective amount of PA needed to induce an osteogenic response nor its effect on the BMD and size of the different bone compartments (i.e., trabecular and cortical bone) has yet been clarified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this population-based study, we investigated the amount of all types of PA in relation to areal BMD (aBMD), trabecular and cortical volumetric BMD (vBMD), and cortical bone size in 1068 men (age, 18.9 +/- 0.02 years), included in the Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants (GOOD) study. aBMD was measured by DXA, whereas cortical and trabecular vBMD and bone size were measured by pQCT. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The amount of PA was associated with aBMD of the total body, radius, femoral neck, and lumbar spine, as well as with cortical bone size (increased thickness and periosteal circumference) and trabecular vBMD, but not with cortical vBMD or length of the long bones. The lowest effective amount of PA was > or = 4 h/week. aBMD, cortical bone size, and trabecular vBMD were higher in subjects who started their training before age 13 than in subjects who started their training later in life. Our data indicate that > or = 4 h/week of PA is required to increase bone mass in young men and that exercise before and during the pubertal growth is of importance. These findings suggest that PA is imperative for the augmentation of cortical bone size and trabecular vBMD but does not affect the cortical vBMD in young men.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Estren promotes androgen phenotypes in primary lymphoid organs and submandibular glands.

BACKGROUND: Estrogens and androgens have extensive effects on the immune system, for example they suppress both T and B lymphopoiesis in thymus and bone marrow. Submandibular glands are sexually dimorphic in rodents, resulting in larger granular convoluted tubules in males compared to females. The aim of the present experiments was to investigate the estrogenic and androgenic effects of 4-estren-3alpha,17beta-diol (estren) on thymus, bone marrow and submandibular glands, and compare the effects to those of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), respectively. Estrogen receptors (ERs) were blocked by treatment of mice with the ER-antagonist ICI 182,780; also, knock-out mice lacking one or both ERs were used. RESULTS: As expected, the presence of functional ERs was mandatory for all the effects of E2. Similar to DHT-treatment, estren-treatment resulted in decreased thymus weight, as well as decreased frequency of bone marrow B cells. Treatment with estren or DHT also resulted in a shift in submandibular glands towards an androgen phenotype. All the effects of estren and DHT were independent of ERs. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first to show that estren has similar effects as the androgen DHT on lymphopoiesis in thymus and bone marrow, and on submandibular glands, and that these effects are independent of estrogen receptors. This supports the hypothesis of estren being able to signal through the androgen receptor.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

A gene expression fingerprint of mouse stomach ECL cells.

Many of the endocrine cells in the stomach are poorly characterized with respect to physiological significance. In some cases, the anticipated hormone has not yet been identified. Global gene expression analysis of mouse stomach was performed in an attempt to identify the ECL-cell peptide/protein. Specific functional activation (omeprazole-induced hypergastrinaemia) was used as a tool to generate a gene expression fingerprint of the ECL cells. The proposed fingerprint includes 14 genes, among them six are known to be expressed by ECL cells (=positive controls), and some novel ones, which are likely to be ECL-cell-related. The known ECL-cell-related genes are those encoding histidine decarboxylase, chromogranin A and B, vesicular monoamine transporter 2, synaptophysin, and the cholecystokinin-B receptor. In addition, the fingerprint included five genes, which might be involved in the process of secretion and three ESTs with unknown function. Interestingly, parathyroid hormone-like hormone (Pthlh) was identified as a candidate ECL-cell peptide hormone.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Osteoporosis in experimental postmenopausal polyarthritis: the relative contributions of estrogen deficiency and inflammation.

Generalized osteoporosis in postmenopausal rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is caused both by estrogen deficiency and by the inflammatory disease. The relative importance of each of these factors is unknown. The aim of this study was to establish a murine model of osteoporosis in postmenopausal RA, and to evaluate the relative importance and mechanisms of menopause and arthritis-related osteoporosis. To mimic postmenopausal RA, DBA/1 mice were ovariectomized, followed by the induction of type II collagen-induced arthritis. After the mice had been killed, paws were collected for histology, one femur for bone mineral density (BMD) and sera for analyses of markers of bone resorption (RatLaps; type I collagen cross-links, bone formation (osteocalcin) and cartilage destruction (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein), and for the evaluation of antigen-specific and innate immune responsiveness. Ovariectomized mice displayed more severe arthritis than sham-operated controls. At termination of the experiment, arthritic control mice and non-arthritic ovariectomized mice displayed trabecular bone losses of 26% and 22%, respectively. Ovariectomized mice with arthritis had as much as 58% decrease in trabecular BMD. Interestingly, cortical BMD was decreased by arthritis but was not affected by hormonal status. In addition, markers of bone resorption and cartilage destruction were increased in arthritic mice, whereas markers of bone formation were increased in ovariectomized mice. This study demonstrates that the loss of endogenous estrogen and inflammation contribute additively and equally to osteoporosis in experimental postmenopausal polyarthritis. Markers of bone remodeling and bone marrow lymphocyte phenotypes indicate different mechanisms for the development of osteoporosis caused by ovariectomy and arthritis in this model.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Liver-derived IGF-I regulates exploratory activity in old mice.

Growth hormone (GH) replacement in hypopituitary patients improves well-being and initiative. Experimental studies indicate that these psychic effects may be reflected in enhanced locomotor activity in mice. It is unknown whether these phenomena are mediated directly by GH or by circulating IGF-I. IGF-I production in the liver was inactivated at 6-10 wk of age (LI-IGF-I-/- mice), resulting in an 80-85% reduction of circulating IGF-I, and, secondary to this, increased GH secretion. Using activity boxes on three different occasions during 1 wk, 6-mo-old LI-IGF-I-/- mice had similar activity levels, and 14-mo-old mice had a moderate but significant decrease in activity level, compared with control mice. At 20 mo of age, the LI-IGF-I-/- mice displayed a more prominent decrease in activity level with decreased horizontal activity throughout the test period, and at day 1, there were several signs of an altered habituation process with different time patterns of locomotor activity and horizontal activity compared with the control mice. At days 3 and 5, rearing activity was lower in the 20-mo-old LI-IGF-I-/- mice. Anxiety level was unaffected in all age groups, as measured using the Montgomery's elevated plus-maze. In conclusion, old LI-IGF-I-/- mice displayed a decrease in both horizontal and rearing (exploratory) activity level and an altered habituation process. These results indicate that liver-derived IGF-I mediates at least part of the effects of GH on exploratory activity in mice.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2005

Free testosterone is a positive, whereas free estradiol is a negative, predictor of cortical bone size in young Swedish men: the GOOD study.

UNLABELLED: In this study, we evaluated the predictive roles of sex steroids for skeletal parameters in young men (n = 1068) at the age of peak bone mass. Serum free estradiol was a negative predictor, whereas free testosterone and SHBG were positive predictors of cortical bone size. INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown that free estradiol in serum is an independent predictor of areal BMD (aBMD) in elderly men. The aim of this study was to determine whether sex steroids are predictors of volumetric BMD (vBMD) and/or size of the trabecular and cortical bone compartments in young men at the age of peak bone mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants (GOOD) study consists of 1068 men, 18.9 +/- 0.6 years of age. Serum levels of testosterone, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured, and free levels of testosterone and estradiol were calculated. The size of the cortical bone and the cortical and trabecular vBMDs were measured by pQCT. RESULTS: Regression models including age, height, weight, free estradiol, and free testosterone showed that free estradiol was an independent negative predictor of cortical cross-sectional area (tibia beta = -0.111, p < 0.001; radius beta = -0.125, p < 0.001), periosteal circumference, and endosteal circumference, whereas it was a positive independent predictor of cortical vBMD (tibia beta = 0.100, p < 0.003; radius beta = 0.115, p = 0.001) in both the tibia and radius. Free testosterone was an independent positive predictor of cortical cross-sectional area (tibia beta = 0.071, p = 0.013; radius beta = 0.064, p = 0.039), periosteal circumference, and endosteal circumference in both the tibia and radius. Neither cortical nor trabecular vBMD was associated with free testosterone. SHBG was an independent positive predictor of parameters reflecting the size of the cortical bone, including cross-sectional area (beta = 0.078, p = 0.009), periosteal circumference, and endosteal circumference. CONCLUSIONS: Free estradiol is a negative, whereas free testosterone is a positive, predictor of cortical bone size in young men at the age of peak bone mass. These findings support the notion that estrogens reduce, whereas androgens increase, cortical bone size, resulting in the well-known sexual dimorphism of cortical bone geometry.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Reduced bone mineral density and radial bone growth in young rabbits treated with dexamethasone eye drops.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of dexamethasone eye drops on bone metabolism in newborn rabbits. METHODS: Thirty-four 3-week-old rabbits had unilateral clear lens extraction and were randomized into three groups. Postoperatively, group 1 received high-dose and group 2 low-dose dexamethasone eye drops (average doses 0.27 and 0.10 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively). These rabbits also received a postoperative subconjunctival injection of betamethasone. Group 3 (control) received vehicle eye drops only. After 8 weeks of treatment, all animals were killed and the left femurs were isolated and subjected to peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) and dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) analyses. RESULTS: DXA showed that rabbits treated with either a high or low dose of dexamethasone eye drops had significantly reduced areal bone mineral density (BMD), area and total bone mineral content (BMC) of the femur. Measurements with pQCT demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in cortical BMC, cortical volumetric BMD and cortical area. These effects were associated with an inhibition of radial femur growth, cortical thickness and periosteal and endosteal circumferences. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone eye drops have systemic effects affecting several bone parameters in young rabbits. Any long-term systemic effects of ocular glucocorticoids need to be further studied.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Age of attainment of peak bone mass is site specific in Swedish men--The GOOD study.

UNLABELLED: Results from this study suggest that PBM has been attained in the spine and femoral neck, but not in the radius or tibia, in 18- to 20-year-old men, in which an endosteal contraction and increase in cortical volumetric BMD is observed. INTRODUCTION: Peak bone mass (PBM) is an important determinant for the risk of osteoporosis. In men, the age of attainment of PBM has been under some controversy. The objective of this study was to determine if peak bone mass had been attained, and whether it is site specific, in 18- to 20-year-old Swedish men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants (GOOD) Study consists of 1068 men, 18.9 +/- 0.6 years of age. BMD was measured using both DXA and pQCT. Environmental factors, such as dietary intake and physical activity, were assessed through questionnaires. The independent predictors of BMD were assessed through multiple linear regression, including age, height, weight, calcium intake, smoking, and physical activity. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We show, in a large well-characterized cohort, that age was not an independent predictor of BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, or total body, indicating that peak BMD has been achieved in these skeletal sites, whereas it was an independent predictor of BMD of the radius, suggesting that peak BMD has not yet been attained in the long bones. pQCT analyses of the radius and the tibia revealed that age was associated with cortical volumetric BMD and endosteal contraction of the radius and tibia. These results show that the age of attainment of PBM is site specific.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Proteome analysis for the identification of in vivo estrogen-regulated proteins in bone.

Estrogen deficiency results in a reduced bone mass, which can be prevented by treatment with estrogens. This study used a proteomic approach for the first time to obtain a global perspective of estrogens' effects on whole-bone proteins. Bone proteome profiles were examined in three groups of mice: (1) sham-operated with normal ovarian functions, (2) ovariectomised and (3) ovariectomised with estrogen replacement therapy. Bone proteins extracted from the humerus were separated by 2-DE and visualised by CBB colloidal staining. Spot detection and quantification was done by image analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified by MS and database search, using peptide mass fingerprint and peptide sequence analysis. Differential expression analysis in the three experimental groups showed significant changes for 14 proteins. These included proteins related to bone metabolism, cytoskeleton components and energy metabolic pathways. Our data suggest that some proteins related to cytoskeleton and to energy pathways, such as tropomyosins, aconitase 2 and enolase beta, might be new molecular targets responsive to the effects of estrogen. Differentially expressed proteins identified in this model may offer a useful starting point for elucidating novel aspects of the pleiotropic effects of estrogens on bone.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Increased adipogenesis in bone marrow but decreased bone mineral density in mice devoid of thyroid hormone receptors.

Mice deficient for all known thyroid hormone receptors, TRalpha1-/-beta-/- mice, display a clear skeletal phenotype characterized by growth retardation, delayed maturation of long bones and decreased trabecular and total bone mineral density (BMD; -14.6 +/- 2.8%, -14.4 +/- 1.5%). The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the skeletal phenotype in TRalpha1-/-beta-/- mice. Global gene expression analysis was performed on total vertebrae from wild-type (WT) and TRalpha1-/-beta-/- mice using DNA microarray and the results were verified by real-time PCR. The mRNA levels of six genes (AdipoQ, Adipsin, Fat-Specific Protein 27 (FSP 27), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), retinol-binding protein (RBP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK)) expressed by mature adipocytes were increased in TRalpha1-/-beta-/- compared with WT mice. An increased amount of fat (225% over WT) due to an increased number but unchanged mean size of adipocytes in the bone marrow of TRalpha1-/-beta-/- mice was revealed. Interestingly, the mRNA levels of the key regulator of osteoclastogenesis, receptor activator of NF-varkappab ligand (RANKL), were dramatically decreased in TRalpha1-/-beta-/- mice. In conclusion, TRalpha1-/-beta-/- mice demonstrated increased expression of adipocyte specific genes and an increased amount of bone marrow fat. Thus, these mice have increased adipogenesis in bone marrow associated with decreased trabecular bone mineral density (BMD). One may speculate that these effects either could be caused by an imbalance in the differentiation of the osteoblast and the adipocyte lineages at the expense of osteoblastogenesis, or by independent effects on the regulation of both osteoblastogenesis and adipogenesis.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed2005

Effects of calcium, dairy product, and vitamin D supplementation on bone mass accrual and body composition in 10-12-y-old girls: a 2-y randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relative effectiveness of calcium supplementation from food or pills with or without vitamin D supplementation for bone mass accrual during the rapid growth period. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to examine the effects of both food-based and pill supplements of calcium and vitamin D on bone mass and body composition in girls aged 10-12 y. DESIGN: This placebo-controlled intervention trial randomly assigned 195 healthy girls at Tanner stage I-II, aged 10-12 y, with dietary calcium intakes <900 mg/d to 1 of 4 groups: calcium (1000 mg) + vitamin D3 (200 IU), calcium (1000 mg), cheese (1000 mg calcium), and placebo. Primary outcomes were bone indexes of the hip, spine, and whole body by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and of the radius and tibia by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. RESULTS: With the use of intention-to-treat or efficacy analysis, calcium supplementation with cheese resulted in a higher percentage change in cortical thickness of the tibia than did placebo, calcium, or calcium + vitamin D treatment (P = 0.01, 0.038, and 0.004, respectively) and in higher whole-body bone mineral density than did placebo treatment (P = 0.044) when compliance was >50%. With the use of a hierarchical linear model with random effects to control for growth velocity, these differences disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing calcium intake by consuming cheese appears to be more beneficial for cortical bone mass accrual than the consumption of tablets containing a similar amount of calcium. Diverse patterns of growth velocity may mask the efficacy of supplementation in a short-term trial of children transiting through puberty.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Glucocorticoid eye drops inhibit growth in the newborn rabbit.

AIM: To investigate if postoperative treatment with dexamethasone eye drops has the capacity to affect longitudinal growth in newborn rabbits. METHODS: Thirty-four male and female rabbits had clear lens extraction performed in one eye at 3 wk of age and were then treated either intensively (group 1) or less intensively (group 2) with de-escalating doses of dexamethasone eye drops for 8 wk (average doses 0.27 and 0.10 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively). The control group (group 3) received vehicle eye drops only. Body weight and crown-rump length were recorded every week. After 8 wk of treatment, all rabbits were killed and the left femur was measured. RESULTS: Rabbits treated with dexamethasone eye drops gained weight slower (711+/-42 and 989+/-153 g weight increase for groups 1 and 2, respectively) than control animals (group 3; 1224+/-87 g weight increase; p<0.001 vs group 1, p<0.01 vs group 2). Longitudinal growth, determined as increase in crown-rump and femur lengths, was impaired by dexamethasone eye drops in a dose-dependent way. Crown-rump length increased by 8.25+/-0.86, 10.90+/-1.19 and 15.35+/-1.31 cm in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p<0.001 for all comparisons). At endpoint, i.e. after 8 wk of treatment, the average femur length was 6.36+/-0.21, 7.39+/-0.27 and 8.37+/-0.28 cm in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p<0.001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone, administered topically as eye drops, has systemic effects and impairs longitudinal growth in young rabbits. Therefore, we propose that growth should be closely monitored in all children intensively treated with glucocorticoid eye drops.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2005

SOCS2 negatively regulates growth hormone action in vitro and in vivo.

Mice deficient in SOCS2 display an excessive growth phenotype characterized by a 30-50% increase in mature body size. Here we show that the SOCS2-/- phenotype is dependent upon the presence of endogenous growth hormone (GH) and that treatment with exogenous GH induced excessive growth in mice lacking both endogenous GH and SOCS2. This was reflected in terms of overall body weight, body and bone lengths, and the weight of internal organs and tissues. A heightened response to GH was also measured by examining GH-responsive genes expressed in the liver after exogenous GH administration. To further understand the link between SOCS2 and the GH-signaling cascade, we investigated the nature of these interactions using structure/function and biochemical interaction studies. Analysis of the 3 structural motifs of the SOCS2 molecule revealed that each plays a crucial role in SOCS2 function, with the conserved SOCS-box motif being essential for all inhibitory function. SOCS2 was found to bind 2 phosphorylated tyrosines on the GH receptor, and mutational analysis of these amino acids showed that both were essential for SOCS2 function. Together, the data provide clear evidence that SOCS2 is a negative regulator of GH signaling.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2005

The COMT val158met polymorphism is associated with early pubertal development, height and cortical bone mass in girls.

Estrogens are involved in accretion of bone mass during puberty. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) is involved in the degradation of estrogens. In this cross-sectional study we investigated associations between the COMT val158met polymorphism, which results in a 60-75% difference in enzyme activity between the val (high activity = H) and the met (low activity = L) variant, and skeletal phenotypes in 246 healthy pre/early pubertal girls. Girls with COMT(LL) were 5.4 cm taller than COMT(HH) girls. Dual x-ray absorptiometry showed higher values of bone mineral content (BMC), and larger areas of total body, femur and spine in COMT(LL). Cortical BMC, measured by peripheral quantitative computerized tomography in the tibia, was 9.8% higher in COMT(LL) compared with COMT(HH). This was due to a larger cortical cross sectional area while the cortical volumetric bone mineral density was not associated with COMT genotype. COMT(LL) girls had higher serum levels of free estradiol and insulin like growth factor. Regression models indicated that COMT genotype exerted effects on skeletal growth mainly via a regulation of free estradiol, resulting in an affected pubertal development (Tanner staging). We propose that the COMT(LL) genotype results in higher free estradiol levels and earlier pubertal development, leading to an increased skeletal growth in pre/early pubertal girls. Possible consequences for the adult skeleton however can be determined only after cessation of growth.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Investigation of central versus peripheral effects of estradiol in ovariectomized mice.

It is generally believed that estrogens exert their bone sparing effects directly on the cells within the bone compartment. The aim of the present study was to investigate if central mechanisms might be involved in the bone sparing effect of estrogens. The dose-response of central (i.c.v) 17beta-estradiol (E2) administration was compared with that of peripheral (s.c.) administration in ovariectomized (ovx) mice. The dose-response curves for central and peripheral E2 administration did not differ for any of the studied estrogen-responsive tissues, indicating that these effects were mainly peripheral. In addition, ovx mice were treated with E2 and/or the peripheral estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780. ICI 182,780 attenuated most of the estrogenic response regarding uterus weight, retroperitoneal fat weight, cortical BMC and trabecular bone mineral content (P<0.05). These findings support the notion that the primary target tissue that mediates the effect of E2 on bone is peripheral and not central.

Animals↗